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S 1120 97th Congress Senate Government Operations and Politics Administrative procedure Congress and Congressmen Congressional oversight Economics and Public Finance Federal budgets Fraud Productivity in government

Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Reduction Act of 1981

Introduced: May 6, 1981 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 97th Congress ended
It never became law before the 97th Congress (1981–1982) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 3, 1981
Committee on Governmental Affairs received executive comment from GAO.
Jun 9, 1981
Committee on Governmental Affairs. Hearings held.
May 14, 1981
Committee on Governmental Affairs requested executive comment from GAO; CBO; OMB; Treasury Department.
May 6, 1981
Read second time and referred to Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.
May 6, 1981
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Reduction Act of 1981 - Requires that two percent of the funds appropriated for each Executive agency be withheld during each of fiscal years 1982 and 1983. Directs each agency: (1) to transmit to Congress a plan to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration of agency programs during each such year; and (2) by February 1 of each such year, to report to Congress on its efforts to implement such plan.

Authorizes each agency which achieves reductions in waste, fraud, or abuse resulting in savings not exceeding the amount of appropriations withheld, or which determines that no waste, fraud, or abuse exists, to request that the withheld appropriations be released. Directs the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives to investigate each agency's reduction efforts and to transmit to the Committee on Appropriations of its respective House recommendations on whether all or part of the withheld appropriations should be made available to the agency. Authorizes the Committees on Appropriations to report a joint resolution directing the Secretary of the Treasury to release such funds.

What's happening now August 3, 1981

Committee on Governmental Affairs received executive comment from GAO.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1120: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Reduction Act of 1981. 97th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1120/
MLA
"S. 1120: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Reduction Act of 1981." 97th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1120/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1120, 97th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1120/.
Markdown link
[S. 1120: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Reduction Act of 1981](https://openamerica.io/bill/97-S-1120/)
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